I'm struck by the long and heated arguments after the war about who was responsible for the loss. Jeb Stuart was blamed for the loss at Gettysburg, as if he was the only one who had the power to change the outcome. Joe Johnston was blamed for retreating, Jefferson Davis was blamed for concentrating on the Virginia theater. The Southern veterans wrote letters, books, gave speeches, defending, accusing. All because they, as American citizens, had the RIGHT to do so.

The KKK was organized first as a kind of social club of like-minded people. The Bill of Rights guarantees that. Then its activites moved beyond into violence and domestic terrorism.

The Lost Cause is another example of dissent.

The last verse of the tune "I'm a Good Ol' Rebel Soldier" goes like this:I can't take up my musket and fight 'em any more.

Think maybe we are talking about the age old Pass the buck Practice that alot of folks seem to have. Stuart had to be blamed at G burg cause it couldnt of been the fault of "The great" Gen Lee. Very few people want to own up to a problem or failure, so they have to think of creative ways to get the monkey off there own back. I dont know if that is what you are looking for, but I see it as a great problem of our time. Just work in corporate America today you'll see it daily. The southern people needed someone to blame for the loss of the war so away it goes. Of course some of em were blunders that did cause the outcome of the war.

Actually my thread isn't about who lost and who's to blame, finger-pointing, scapegoating, etc. Rather, it's about the amazing thought that the losers had the CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to argue with each other, in print and out loud.

They could drop out, move on, look for a new life if things were too bleak at home. They could, eventually, become productive citizens and raise a new generation.